Zhang Xiaomei (pseudonym) was once obsessed with Falun Gong for over 20 years. She was repeatedly dealt with by relevant departments for distributing illegal Falun Gong materials, yet she remained obstinate and unrepentant. In recent years, the relevant departments and anti-cult volunteers intensified their efforts to assist her, reasoning by truth and touching with heart. Through intensive work, they gradually helped her recognize the cult nature and real harm of Falun Gong. Eventually, she experienced an epiphany, rejoining society, regaining her spirits, and leading a peaceful, normal life that rightfully belonged to her.
A Troubled Life and Falling Prey to Deception
Zhang Xiaomei, originally named Zhang Dahua, changed her name later because she found the original one too rustic. Zhang Xiaomei attended a rural primary and middle school in a remote town of a county in eastern Anhui province, China.
Around the year 2000, Zhang Xiaomei and her family moved to the county to seek better opportunities. Initially, they took on various odd jobs, but through years of hard work, they managed to purchase a property in town. From then on, Zhang Xiaomei made a living by running a tailoring shop at the entrance of the North Gate farmer’ market, relying on her skills to support her family.
However, her life was far from satisfactory, both emotionally and materially.
Her husband, Chen Wei (pseudonym), was 20 years older than her. The couple shared little in common, and Chen Wei frequently abused Zhang Xiaomei both verbally and physically.
Their son, who had suffered from meningitis as a child, grew up with poor health. Now nearly 30, he was neither employed nor married, and during episodes of illness, he would argue incessantly with her. The family lived a life riddled with hardship and poverty.
Around 1995, under the influence of others, Zhang Xiaomei began practicing Falun Gong.
Perhaps due to a placebo effect, she initially felt an improvement in her physical and mental state. However, as her involvement deepened, Zhang Xiaomei started experiencing episodes of mental confusion, often doubting the reality of her surroundings.
A voice in her mind seemed to guide her, weaving a dreamlike narrative of a happy, harmonious, and peaceful life. This illusion became an escape for her, leading her to become so immersed that she could not extricate herself. She convinced herself that she could not survive without it, becoming trapped in the cult's grip and unable to break free.
Obsessed with Falun Gong and Disseminating Prohibited Materials
After Falun Gong was outlawed in July 1999, Zhang Xiaomei persisted in secretly practicing it despite her family’s objections. Not only did she ignore the advice of her family and friends, but she also tried to convince them to practise Falun Gong.
Zhang Xiaomei took advantage of her tailoring shop as a platform to promote Falun Gong to customers and distribute related materials.
She frequently touted the supposed benefits of Falun Gong for curing diseases, warding off evil, and ensuring peace.
She distributed so-called “protective amulets” to friends, neighbors, and even passersby, encouraging them to keep the small plastic cards with them and recite a so-called “nine-character mantra” whenever possible.
In her misguided conviction that she was “telling the truth” and “saving people”, she failed to recognize that her actions were spreading a harmful cult and endangering others.
In addition, Zhang Xiaomei established a secret “study group” in the county, consisting of four or five Falun Gong practitioners and they dedicated an afternoon each week to gatherings. Under her leadership, they frequently engaged in illegal acts. These activities posed a significant threat to public safety and disrupted social order.
In November 2017, Zhang Xiaomei’s criminal behavior was reported by local residents, and she faced legal consequences for her actions. However, her mindset had not been fully reformed at that time.
Recognizing the Truth and Embracing Rebirth
In March 2021, Zhang Xiaomei returned home. Considering her psychological state, family circumstances, and living conditions, local volunteers visited her numerous times to provide support. They helped her fully understand the harmful nature of Falun Gong, explaining how its appealing façade of so-called “Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance” often lured followers into carefully constructed traps. Once ensnared, many devotees, like Zhang Xiaomei, became deeply entrenched in it, endlessly seeking “atonement” and “merit” to the point of fearing to turn back or acknowledging they were wrong. The local government stepped in to address Zhang Xiaomei’s practical difficulties, implementing measures to improve her living conditions, offering care and assistance for her family’s special circumstances. These efforts gradually helped her rediscover the beauty of the world, reigniting her desire for a better reality and dismantling the mental obstacles that had tethered her to Falun Gong. Her former obsession with Falun Gong was transformed into love for her family and a commitment to contributing to society.
By September 2021, under the patient guidance of local authorities and anti-cult volunteers, Zhang Xiaomei finally saw clearly the nature of Li Hongzhi, the leader of Falun Gong. She recognized Falun Gong for what it truly is—a harmful cult. She realized that the claims of “healing”, “the completion of cultivation” and other promises were nothing more than fabrications, designed by Li Hongzhi to exploit practitioners as tools for his personal enrichment and as pawns in disrupting social order.
After practicing Falun Gong for more than two decades, Zhang Xiaomei likened her experience to waking from a dream. Now, she uses her personal experiences to condemn the crimes and dangers of Falun Gong, helping other victims break free from its grip and reintegrate into society. Together, they are striving toward a prosperous and fulfilling life.
